How to deal with indecisiveness in life

The process of designing and building a home has taught me so much about contentment, humbleness, and making decisions. I never imagined we would be so indecisive through this process, but we have gone back and forth so many times that it's making my head spin. And when I think about the big picture I'm easily reminded that the little decisions don't really matter.

I recently talked about how indecisiveness in business can hold us back and how we can deal with. I see so many business owners get stuck on making progress because making a decision and sticking with it is paralyzing. We can just as easily get hung up on making decisions in our lives too. When we are faced with so many choices daily, it's no wonder we can't make a decision. I often fear to make the wrong decision because I wonder if something else would have been a better choice. But this fear of commitment to our decisions can take so much away from our lives. If we think about our decisions from a place of intention and purpose, and forget about the too many choices, we can make decisions with more confidence and ease.

Dealing with choice overload

We are faced with choice overload every day. It seems like our culture always wants something bigger and better and there's always something new coming out to top the last. The grocery store is the perfect example. Just walk down any aisle of the store and you'll easily find 10 varieties of any item. How are we supposed to know which one is the healthiest, taste the best, and is most affordable? No wonder we are indecisive at times.

My home building experience is another great example for you. I'm the kind of person who likes to research everything before I buy. I like to know I'm getting the best for my money for I spend it. But when it comes to building a home and having to source so many things at one time, it's just impossible. There comes a point when we just have to look past the choices, make a decision, and stick with it.

Facing decision paralysis

Being faced with too many choices can leave you feeling paralyzed. You're unsure of what to do because it's so hard to process all the choices and options. You're afraid of making a decision because you might choose wrong. I used to be incredibly indecisive. Like put all the things in my cart and then put them back later on. And even though I still have my moments of indecisiveness, I've learned to move past the paralysis.

There will always be a “what if” in the back of our mind if we let it. But if we commit to a decision we can move forward with confidence and enjoy the life we've created and the decisions we've made along the way instead of living in regret and wonder.

3 tips for making a decision

I'm no expert, but these 3 things help me when making decisions both big and small:

Pray about it - I always say I'm not really the one making the big decisions for my life. I pray about everything and ultimately I want God to guide me in my decision making too.

Decide with purpose - one way to make decisions easier is to approach them with a purpose in mind. I saw it all the time, but being intentional with our decisions is the best way to feel more confident about it. If you know you're making the decision with intent and purpose, you will feel better about it in the end.

Think big picture - think about how this decision will matter long term. In the end, is this something that really matters to you? If it isn't, you can make the decision knowing it won't have a major impact on the quality of your life. If it is, go back to number one and make the decision with God by your side. After you've made the decision, put it in God’s hands.

Making decisions has never been my strong suit. But I've learned that we have to be able to make a decision and move on. I've seen how simple decisions can hold me back and I'm too busy living life for that anymore. The biggest lesson I've learned is in contentment. I rarely regret a decision anymore because I am content with what I have. I know that in the end, none of it really matters and I want to focus my time and attention on the things that do. Can you relate?